Soflasnapper
04-04-2012, 12:03 PM
For banking and kicking, I've long used the diamonds to form a virtual triangle from the cue ball to the ghost ball contact that makes the shot or hit.
I've been aware of the aim at the spot on the wall technique, but mainly as a guideline for a 3-railer aiming point. I haven't done much of that, as it differs from table to table of course (probably should work up such aim lines on the couple of tables I use most frequently, including mainly the table at my house).
I have experimented briefly with spots on the wall for situations like the double the points shots, and I found it to be remarkably accurate for that (removing the guesswork entirely!), but I shoot that rarely to never so mainly I've had the notion in reserve, knowledge that I didn't employ in my game.
Recently a 3-C player remarked that when playing pocket billiards (maybe also in 3-C play), he used off table aim points a lot-- not pre-set or pre-learned, as to go to a corner, but on the fly, for routine kicks or banks.
I realized that as part of the lineups I perform with triangles using the diamonds, the track usually falls off the line of the cue ball, so I try to get a close track, and then parallel the line over to and through the center of the cue ball. What I'm trying now is, instead of paralleling over, I get an off-table aim point that is exact to a known line, and then aim the off-track line cue ball to that same point.
Seems to work great, and really gives me confidence on some harder to see kick lines, and better accuracy on banks as well.
Reason is, I think, both the paralleling over, AND the aim to a convergence point are off a bit, but the aiming to a convergent point is closer to accurate for me.
If you're mainly a feel shooter on such shots, this will probably not be helpful, but if you use a variant of the isosceles triangle (two equal length sides) for them, and use the paralleling method with that, give it a try.
I've been aware of the aim at the spot on the wall technique, but mainly as a guideline for a 3-railer aiming point. I haven't done much of that, as it differs from table to table of course (probably should work up such aim lines on the couple of tables I use most frequently, including mainly the table at my house).
I have experimented briefly with spots on the wall for situations like the double the points shots, and I found it to be remarkably accurate for that (removing the guesswork entirely!), but I shoot that rarely to never so mainly I've had the notion in reserve, knowledge that I didn't employ in my game.
Recently a 3-C player remarked that when playing pocket billiards (maybe also in 3-C play), he used off table aim points a lot-- not pre-set or pre-learned, as to go to a corner, but on the fly, for routine kicks or banks.
I realized that as part of the lineups I perform with triangles using the diamonds, the track usually falls off the line of the cue ball, so I try to get a close track, and then parallel the line over to and through the center of the cue ball. What I'm trying now is, instead of paralleling over, I get an off-table aim point that is exact to a known line, and then aim the off-track line cue ball to that same point.
Seems to work great, and really gives me confidence on some harder to see kick lines, and better accuracy on banks as well.
Reason is, I think, both the paralleling over, AND the aim to a convergence point are off a bit, but the aiming to a convergent point is closer to accurate for me.
If you're mainly a feel shooter on such shots, this will probably not be helpful, but if you use a variant of the isosceles triangle (two equal length sides) for them, and use the paralleling method with that, give it a try.